MORGANTOWN, W. Va. - The Penn State women’s tennis team concluded three days of play at the Martha Thorn Invitational on Sunday.
Senior Maiko Uchijima, junior Jordina Cegarra, sophomore Maria Daciana Ciubotaru and freshman Ansley Cox, making her collegiate debut with a doubles and singles win, represented the Nittany Lions at West Virginia University. All four student-athletes picked up at least one win in both singles and doubles play.
The first day consisted of two rounds of doubles before a round of singles. Penn State worked through a variety of doubles combinations but ultimately could not find a victory.
The Blue & White found more success in singles action, winning three of four matches. Ciubotaru, hailing from Focsani, Romania, defeated Virginia’s Melodie Collard, 6-1, due to retirement. Uchijima and Cegarra made quick work of their opponents with Uchijima earning a 6-2, 6-2 win over Duquesne’s Taisia Yakunina and Cegarra, a native of Barcelona, Spain, besting Liberty’s Aranai Martinez, 6-3, 6-3.
The only Penn State singles defeat on the first day came in a hard-fought match. Cox dropped to Liberty’s Celina Joseph, 5-7, 6-3, 10-5.
To open day two, PSU picked up two victories in the final round of doubles competition. Uchijima and Ciubotaru controlled their match from start to finish, taking down West Virginia’s Zuzana Kudlackova and Julie Bousseau, 6-1. Cegarra and Cox paired up for a 6-3 victory over a team from Duquesne, good for Cox’s first win as a Nittany Lion.
Despite reaching a third set in two of its four singles matches, Penn State was unable to pick up a win in the second round of singles.
The third and final day of fall tennis consisted of just one round of singles. The Nittany Lions bounced back with three victories on the day.
Ciubotaru defeated WVU’s Bousseau in a 6-4, 7-6 decision while Uchijima took down the Mountaineers’ Kudlackova in a tough, three-set match. The Tokyo, Japan native earned a 7-6, 3-6, 10-4 win.
Cox, a native of Vestavia, Alabama, secured the first singles victory of her collegiate career with a 6-4, 7-5 triumph over Liberty’s Martinez.
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Day One Results
Doubles
- Meggie Navarro/Kaitlyn Rolls (UVA) def. Maiko Uchijima/Maria Daciana Ciubotaru (PSU): 6-4
- Blair Gill/Melodie Collard (UVA) def. Jordina Cegarra/Ansley Cox (PSU): 7-5
- Maria Turchetto/Yoanna Radulova (LIB) def. Jordina Cegarra/Maria Daciana Ciubotaru (PSU): 7-5
- Aranai Martinez/Candy Wai (LIB) def. Maiko Uchijima/Ansley Cox (PSU): 6-4
Singles
- Maria Daciana Ciubotaru (PSU) def. Melodie Collard (UVA): 6-1 (retirement)
- Maiko Uchijima (PSU) def. Taisia Yakunina (DUQ): 6-2 6-2
- Celina Joseph (LIB) def. Ansley Cox (PSU): 5-7, 6-3, 10-5
- Jordina Cegarra (PSU) def. Aranai Martinez (LIB): 6-3, 6-3
Day Two Results
Doubles
- Maiko Uchijima/Maria Daciana Ciubotaru (PSU) def. Zuzana Kudlackova/Julie Bousseau (WVU): 6-1
- Jordina Cegarra/Ansley Cox (PSU) def. Duquesne: 6-3
Singles
- Kaitlyn Rolls (UVA) def. Maiko Uchijima (PSU): 7-6, 6-4
- Maria Turchetto (LIB) def. Ansley Cox (PSU): 6-4, 6-4
- Yoanna Radulova (LIB) def. Maria Daciana Ciubotaru (PSU): 5-7, 7-6, 10-3
- Audrey Moutama (WVU) def. Jordina Cegarra (PSU): 2-6, 7-5, 10-7
Day Three Results
- Maria Daciana Ciubotaru (PSU) def. Julie Bousseau (WVU): 6-4, 7-6
- Maiko Uchijima (PSU) def. Zuzana Kudlackova (WVU): 7-6, 3-6, 10-4
- Ansley Cox (PSU) def. Aranai Martinez (LIB): 6-4, 7-5
- Celina Joseph (LIB) def. Jordina Cegarra (PSU): 6-4, 6-1